Barton b



(No Model.)

B. B. WARD. ELECTRIC LIGHTING SYSTEM.

No. 447,482. Patented Mar. 3,1891.

$ 5 4113 axiom tugs m in. Cart 4 0M144 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTON B. \VARD, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC CON-STRUCTION AND SUPPLY COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC-LIGHTING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,482, dated March 3,1891.

Application filed May 5, 1890. Serial No. 350,599. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. l, BARTON l3. WARD, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at New York city, in the county and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Regulators forElectric-Light Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to means for main-' out of use an equivalentresistance may be substituted. This has sometimes been done at each lampby means of a number of resistance devices-that is, one for each lamp inthe system-and these resistances have been made as nearly equal to thenormal lamp resistance as could be readily done. \Vith this arrangementthe difficulty and expense of preserving an exact balance in the severalbranches have been considerable, and by my invention the difficult yandexpenseare largely reduced. 1 may use the individual resistances abovereferred to at each lamp; but in that case it is unnecessary tocarefully gage each resistance to equal that of its lamp. It is onlynecessary to make them approximately of the proper resistance and thesystem will be automatically balanced at a point external to the lampsand at one point for all the lamps in the two branches.

Referring especially to Fig. 1, G is a generator, and l 2 the maincircuit wires or leads. At some convenient point in the system wheremultiple-arc branches are led to translating devices is placed aregulator 3, which consists, essentially, of an artificial resistanceand means for transferring resistance from one branch to another as thenecessity arises. R h is such resistance, shown in this instance as astrip or rod of high-resistance material. Difierent forms of resistanceare shown in Fig. "hen he resistances of branches 4 and 5 are equal, thecontact 6 of the circuitcontroller to which line 1 is connected by aflexible or movable connection will be held at the center of R h. \Vhen,however, the resistance increases in either line, the coil 7 or 8, asthe case may be, in the other line will be more strongly energized andwill move the core to cut out resistance from said first line into theother line, thus at once equalizing resistance in the two lines orbranches and maintaining the remaining lights at their normal intensity.The coils are preferably wound on insulating-spools, so that there maybe no danger of cross-connection between the core and the branches at 5.In branch at are shown several arc lamps 9 and in branch 5 severalincandescent lamps 10. The lamps will preferably, though notnecessarily, be provided with a resistance R 72/ in a cut-out branch,which should be ap- 75 proximately equal to the resistance of a normalarc. The circuits of the first lamp are diagrammatically indicated. 11is the main magnet. 2 is a magnet with a small number of turns also inthe main line and serving during the normal operation of the lamp tohold its armature away from the contact 14:.

15 is the shunt-magnet of the lamp, and the circuit therefrom passes toa coil on magnet 12, so Wound as to have an opposite magnetic effectfrom the main-line coil. \Vhen, therefore, the current in the shuntbecomes strong enough to neutralize the attractive force of magnet 12,as would be the case, for example,

if one carbon should be broken, so as to open the circuit between thetwo carbons, the armature will move to its back-stop and close thecircuit through R 71 but it will be understood that this action does notoccur during the ordinary operation of the carbon- 5 feeding apparatusof the lamp. If resistance R 7L2 is just equal to the resistance of anormal arc, the contact 6 of regulator 3 will remain at the center ofits resistance. It, however, as is generally the case, there is a dif-IOO ference, the contact 6 will be moved up or down and at once adjustthe resistance, as before described. R 7&2 could be omitted, especiallyin a system in which a small numberet lampssay three or four-are placedin each multiple-arc branch. The resistance R h and the range ofmovement of contact 6 would then have to be greater, and the regulationwould not be so quickly and perfectly attained.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of the regulator. Each coil 7 8 has aseparate contact 6 (3', co-operating with a separate resistance. Thereis a flexible connection 16 between the line and the sliding contacts,and as said contacts of the circuit-controller move more or less of theresistance is shunted, as will be apparent from the drawings. It will beunderstood that the lamps in this arrangement are preferably providedwith resistances corresponding to R k of Fig. 1. When one or more of thelights in branch 4 are thrown out of use, ifit increases the resistance,more current is thrown to coil 8, which will move 6 upward, throwingresistance into its branch. At the same time the weakening of coil 7will permit contact (5 to move downward, cutting out resistance from itsbranch, and thus the balance is immediately re-established in thesystem.

Fig. 3 shows another application and a further development of theinvention. The regulator 3 controls the resistance of branches 4 5,which mayinclude lamps, as above described. The branch 4 is subdividedinto twobranches t 5', the former including arc and the latterincandescent lamps, (or both including lamps of the same character, orother translating devices,if desired.) At the point of division isplaced a regulator, similar to regulator 3, for controlling theresistance of sub-branches 4: 5. Branch 5 is also subdivided into twobranches 4:" 5" in the same manner and is providedwith a resistanceregulator at the point of division. The operation of these systems willbe apparent without further description. I The invention is especiallyvaluable in circuits having arc lamps in one branch and incandescentlamps in the other, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In anelectric-lighting system, the combination of the main wires orleads,multiplearc branches containing translating devices, aresistance-regulator for each pair of branches between one of the leadsand the translating devices, said regulator comprising a coil in eachbranch, a resistance, part of-whichis in one branch and part of which isin a second branch, and a contact connected with one of the line-wiresbearing on said resistance and moved by the coils to throw resistancefrom one branch to the other, substantially as described.

2. In an electric-lighting system, the comcoils in said branchescontrolling a contactbearing on the resistance between the points wherethe branches are connected, whereby movement ofsaid contact throwsresistance out of one branch and into the other, substantially asdescribed.

3. A resistance-regulator consisting of a resistance thetwo terminals ofwhich are connected'through coils to'two lines, in combina tion with acontact connected to the source of current bearing on the'resistancebetween the two terminals and controlled by the armature ot' the coils,whereby resistance is thrown from one line to the other as required,substantially as described.

4. In an electrical lighting system, the combination of the main wires,multiple are branches containing translating devices, aresistance-regulator for eachpair, consisting of a coil ineach of saidbranches, a resistance in each branch, said resistancesbeing-substantially equal'when the'working-resistances of the branchesare equal, and circuit-controlling devices moved by the coils forsimultaneously cutting resistance outot one branch and cuttingresistance into the other branch, substantially as described.

This specifieationsigned andwitnessed this 7th day of March, 1890.

BARTON B. WARD.

\Vitnesses: CHARLES M. CATLIN, W. PELZER.

